YOUNG ‘SCIENCE AMBASSADORS’ change raise the profile of science Katie Ridley

leading
change
Figure 1
Photocall for
our school
science
ambassadors!
YOUNG ‘SCIENCE AMBASSADORS’
raise the profile of science
Katie Ridley appointed children
as ‘science ambassadors’ and
raised the profile of science
across her school
Key words:
Types of
activity
Ownership
Creativity
14
T
he inspiration for ‘science
ambassadors’ came to me
after embarking on the
Primary Science Quality Mark
programme (www.psqm.org.
uk). The initial interviews with
the children started me thinking
about their perception of science.
Many claimed that they did
not do science very often, but
examining written work and
displays around the school
and talking to other teachers
place and to understand that
science was not all about making
a mess or using a stopwatch!
This seemed a huge
undertaking and as I continued
on my PSQM journey, it became
apparent that this was something
not to be done alone. The whole
process was about working as
a school to raise the profile of
suggested that this was definitely
science. I had initially worked
not the case. I realised that
on getting the teachers to help.
science was just not recognised as
We had written our own set of
such by the children. They talked
about scientific experiments they science principles, agreed what a
‘good’ science lesson looked like
had done but did not mention
and that a scientific investigation
topics they had covered such as
would happen within each topic.
‘teeth’, ‘light and shadows’ and
While all of these things would
‘adaptation’. I knew then that I
certainly help, I felt it was also
needed to do something to raise
important to involve the children
the profile of science across the
more in the running of science
school. I needed the children to
know when science was taking
across the school.
Primary Science 133 May/June 2014
leading change
the interviews the children had
already expressed the view that
science only happened when they
I came up with the idea of
were doing experiments and I did
science ambassadors as I thought
not want to reinforce that belief.
that it would create a soughtHowever, the presence of the
after role within the school.
ambassadors in their lab coats has
Children who were selected
provided a real signal to the class
would receive a clipboard and
that the lesson they are doing
a white lab coat, complete with
is ‘science’. Some children have
school logo and the title ‘science
been quite surprised to learn that
ambassador’. The lab coats
areas such as ‘teeth’, ‘plants’ and
were to be worn by the children
‘habitats’ are all ‘science’ (Figure
whenever a science lesson was
2). It seems that they did have a
taking place and they were to
stereotypical view that science
gather evidence (a science skill!)
was ‘doing experiments’! Now,
to be able to report on science
when I ask, children tell me that
activities in the school in termly
they do ‘loads of science’. I don’t
meetings with me. I knew that all
think that the quantity of science
these features would appeal to the
lessons has increased over the
children and would give the role
year, but the children are more
of the ambassador a high status
Appointing the science
ambassadors
Figure 2 When are
we doing science?
across the school (Figure 1).
To introduce the science
ambassadors we held a special
assembly, all about science
and the ways in which science
influences our everyday lives.
The ambassadors were called
to the front to receive their
clipboards and white lab coats.
Two children from each class,
from reception (ages 4–5) to year
6 (ages 10–11), were selected to
take on the role. These children
were chosen because they had
shown an interest in science and
were good role models within the
class. They immediately felt very
special: ‘I feel like a real scientist’
said 5-year-old Scarlett.
Initially I was hesitant about
dressing the science ambassadors
in white lab coats as I felt this
was a little too stereotypical. In
the children talking to each other
about what they have done and
sharing the joy and excitement
that good science lessons bring.
As a science coordinator, this has
given me an invaluable insight
into, and understanding of, the
science teaching that is taking
place across the school. I feel that
if a child did not have anything
to report to me on a termly basis,
then I would be able to speak
to the class teacher to find out
why this was the case. It hasn’t
happened yet.
The photographs that the
children take have formed a great
portfolio of science across the
school and this has saved me the
termly job of asking teachers for
photographs of science, waiting
to receive them and then collating
them all (usually late one
evening!) into a portfolio.
aware when they are involved in a
science activity. The ambassadors
love wearing their lab coats in
the science lesson and feel a great
sense of pride and importance as
they know that they will have to
report back on whatever science
activity is taking place.
Expanding the role – lab
technicians
More recently, I have involved
the year 5 and 6 (ages 9–11)
ambassadors in the organisation
of our science resources. They
helped me to sort out and label
the science area and have become
responsible for assisting teachers
The science ambassadors’
in setting up the classroom for
role
science investigations (Figure
The science ambassadors wear
3). This additional support has
their lab coats whenever science is
really helped the teachers in their
taking place. They have a special
lesson preparation and some
report card to complete, detailing
have commented that they are
the lesson and identifying
doing more science investigations
learning that has taken place. The
because ‘they are easier to set up’,
younger children can record by
so removing one of the barriers to
taking photographs and, at our
practical science.
science ambassador meetings,
Science week
they all discuss what learning is
The science ambassadors were
taking place.
also a great asset during science
It has been lovely to witness
Primary Science 133
May/June 2014
15
leading change
Figure 3 Our junior ‘lab technicians’ have enjoyed their role and
proved very helpful
Figure 4 The science ambassadors proudly displaying some of the
school’s work in Science Week
week. They were consulted about
the types of science that they
wanted to see being done, the
visitors they would like to invite,
and where they would like to go.
Finally, they were involved in
helping me to display all of our
work (Figure 4). They wore their
lab coats all week and visitors
to the school recognised that
these were ‘special’ children and
asked them to explain their role.
The children loved all this extra
attention and were very keen and
proud to discuss their role.
The future …
New ambassadors have been
selected for this academic year.
It was lovely to see how keen all
the children were to be given the
role. This gave me the assurance
that the role is highly desirable
and sought after within the
school.
I would like to use the
ambassadors to develop the
science section of our school
website. I am going to use
the termly meetings to teach
the children how to upload
photographs and create weblinks. Further to this, I hope to
teach the ambassadors to use
the school’s tablet computers to
create videos of specific science
topics. My plan is to upload these
to the school website and give
each video a QR code that can be
stuck into children’s books so that
parents or visitors to the school
will be able to watch the children
enjoying science lessons.
I am incredibly proud of the
science ambassadors and I believe
that they have made a very
positive contribution to helping
me raise the profile of science
across our school. I am even more
thrilled that it is the children who
have made this happen.
Katie Ridley is science
coordinator at St Gregory’s
Catholic Primary School,
Liverpool. Email: katie.
[email protected]
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Primary Science 133 May/June 2014